Posted inOnline & Digital

Digitize Photo Books

This post also marks the very first entry in a new category I’m calling “Pick of the Week.” The idea is simple: every now and then, I want to highlight something I’ve discovered that I really enjoy and can wholeheartedly recommend to others. So let’s dive right into the first pick. For about two years now, I’ve been working on a personal project: digitizing my old photo albums. Some of them were easy enough to scan on a standard household flatbed scanner. Small keepsakes like ticket stubs or postcards worked without any issues. It’s not complicated—just a matter of patience and persistence. Of course,…
Posted inOnline & Digital

Pick of the Week: DropIt – Automating Photo & Video Organization

Two weeks ago, I stumbled upon an interesting open-source Windows application called DropIt. Before diving into why I like it so much, let me first describe the problem I was trying to solve. I organize all my photos and videos manually into folders. Yes, I know there are plenty of archiving tools from Google, Yahoo, or even Apple’s iPhoto and Aperture on macOS. But I don’t want to upload my pictures to the cloud, nor do I want to depend on a single piece of proprietary software to keep track of something as important as my memories. Instead, all my files are…
Posted inCan We Talk About This Please? In the News Online & Digital Politics & Opinion

Dear Telekom, You’re Just a Cable

I’ve borrowed this headline from Timo Hetzel (Bits und So / Undsoversum / Blog) because I find it so fitting. Many so-called providers still haven’t understood that at the end of the day, they are nothing more than a cable. A copper cable, a fiber optic cable, or a wireless connection — but still just a cable. They connect us with one another, through telephone lines or the internet. But for years, these providers have been trying to be more than just the pipe through which the bits flow. They want to upsell us with “value-added services.” Sometimes with a bit of…
Posted inCan We Talk About This Please? In the News Politics & Opinion

Marriage, Equality, and What Really Deserves State Support

Right now, the media is full of heated debates about whether same-sex marriages should be given the same legal recognition as “traditional” marriages. The discussion isn’t just about symbolism—it’s about practical matters too: tax advantages, legal protections, and social rights such as adoption. As someone who is deeply interested in this topic, though not eligible to vote in Germany myself, I’ve been thinking a lot about what lies at the core of the issue. To ground my thoughts, I went straight to the source: Article 6 of the German Constitution (Grundgesetz). It says: Marriage and family enjoy the special protection of…
Posted inOnline & Digital

Good Bye CC²

I still remember sitting glued to the TV, fascinated, as Wolfgang Back and Wolfgang Rudolph presented the latest technical innovations, clever ideas, and DIY builds on WDR’s Computer Club. Always up to date and truly an IT institution. The show, moderated by the two Wolfgangs since 1983, was discontinued in 2003 without a real replacement. None of the follow-up programs ever matched what Computer Club had been. Then came the relief. Thanks to a lucky discovery online, I stumbled across CC² (Computer Club Zwei) as a podcast back in 2006, when it was still in its early days. The two Wolfgangs had teamed…
Posted inMotorsport

Quotes surrounding Ayrton Senna

As you probably know by now, I’m an Ayrton Senna fan. The other day, I came across a poll on Facebook asking fans to choose between Schumacher and Senna as the greatest driver of all time. For me, the answer is crystal clear: Senna. Thousands of voters agreed, though of course there were still some doubters in the comments. For me, it’s undeniable: Senna was the greatest of all time because of his talent, his charisma, his uncompromising will to win, and the aura he carried both on and off the track. As Jeremy Clarkson once said—though he personally believed Gilles Villeneuve…
Posted inOn the Screen Science Matters

Good news for TV Nerds…

This week has been—and will be—a good one for TV nerds. First, the good news for fans of science, chaos, and reckless experimentation: you probably know the German TV show “Nicht Nachmachen” (“Do Not Imitate”) on ZDF. In it, comedians Bernhard Hoëcker and Wigald Boning try out all the things you should never, ever, ever, ever do. From balloons filled with propane to heating bottles of red wine in a microwave, the show is pure madness, mixed with the infectious fun of Wigald and Bernhard. The first six episodes aired in 2012, and in 2013 a second season was confirmed. Bernhard Hoëcker wrote on Facebook: “Finally it’s happening: Nicht…
Posted inIn the News On the Screen Politics & Opinion

Mon dieu, monsieur Depardieu!

In recent days, it’s been all over the news: Gérard Depardieu is becoming Russian. He’s doing it publicly, with maximum media attention, deliberately snubbing the Grande Nation—and, to be honest, me as well. Personally, I’ve never cared much for Depardieu. I don’t particularly like his films, and I like him even less as a person. Too many times, he has made negative headlines with questionable behavior. My gut feeling has always been that he’s an unpleasant man—and the way he’s leaving France only confirms it. The “Millionaire Tax” Depardieu’s move is meant as a protest against the so-called “millionaire tax”—a 75% top rate for…
Posted inIn the News Motorsport

Historic Motorsport Moments

As you know, I’m a huge motorsport fan. I mainly follow Formula 1, the DTM, and the ADAC GT Masters. But of course, I’m also fascinated by other series like WTCC, the World Rally Championship (WRC), and legendary endurance races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans or the Nürburgring 24 Hours. As fans, we often look back—sometimes with goosebumps, sometimes with horror—at unforgettable moments in racing history. Here are a few that have stuck with me. (And apologies: all of these are from the last 20–30 years. I’m not that old—thankfully!—and naturally, we’re most deeply connected to moments we’ve lived through ourselves or to drivers and tracks…
Posted inIn the News Online & Digital

Social Media Hoaxes

We’ve all seen it: every so often, alarming posts start circulating through our timelines. Someone claims that unless you change a particular setting, all your profile data will suddenly become public. Recently, one of these rumors made the rounds again—this time about a supposed Facebook Terms of Service change that would give the platform rights to all content published there. Whether you agree with Facebook’s policies or not, here’s the reality: you accept Facebook’s terms the moment you create an account. Any future changes to the Terms of Service are announced via official notifications, and they’re considered accepted automatically if you continue…